Mailing-card.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

H. B. SMITH. MAILING CARD;

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1907.

3% 2i E 2% 2i @LGU mam m C R y m m M n: NoRRIs PETERS ca. WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM E. SMITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MAILING-CARD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM E. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing-Cards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in mailing cards; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear face view of the mailing card with portions of the border of the wrapper and a portion of the card proper, removed; Fig. 2 is a face view of the address side; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the wrapper unfolded, the card proper being entirely removed.

The object of my invention is to construct a combination card and envelop, the latter serving the purpose of a partial wrapper for the card whose exposed face may contain pictorial or souvenir illustrations of a character peculiar to souvenir postals.

A further object is to eqluip the wrapper portion of the card with eaflets normally concealed from view by the card, these leaflets serving either for souvenir, advertising or correspondence purposes.

The device while strictly a combination of card and wrapper will however be herein referred to as a mailing card since its general appearance is not unlike the ordinary souve n1r postal card so popular at the present day.

The advantages of the invention will be better apparent from a detailed description thereof which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, C, represents a card on one side of which may be impressed any souvenir or other design according to the locality from which it is to be mailed.

W, represents a wrapper or envelop for the card, one end of the wrapper being open, and the opposite end and sides being closed. The exposed face of one side of the wrapper is the address side, and the stamp side. The opposite side of the wra per has excised therefrom a section extending from the closed end to a suitable distance from the edge of the open end, and to a suitable distance from the e ges of the closed sides, thus leaving a threesided border a a a overlapping the sides and one end of the card O when the latter is in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 1, 1907.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 381,772.

sorted into the wrapper. The excising of the section referred to leaves a flap Z) foldable along the edge of the closed end of the wrapper, and in practice this flap is preferably allowed to remain (though it may be removed entirely. lVhen allowed to remain it forms a cover for a series of leaflets (Z, (Z, (Z, secured to the inner face of the address side of the wrapper, said leaflets being of a dimension corresponding substantially to the area of the excised portion of the wrapper wall from which the flap is formed. These leaflets may be used for advertising purposes, for correspondence, or for views or souvenirs of any description whatsoever.

In practice the leaflets and their protecting flap (when the flap is used) are folded against the opposite wall of the wrapper, whereupon the card C is inserted through the open end of the wrapper, and passed into it between the border a, a, a and the leaflets and the flap, the picture on the card thus re maining exposed, being surrounded by a three-sided border (which may likewise be ornamented or embellished if desired) the friction between the parts and the snug fit of the card in the wrapper preventing the card C from working loose during its transit in the mail. The card when once fully inserted reaches to the hinge line of the flap 6, or to the closed ends of the sides of the border a, a, a, so that a maximum area of the pictorially illustrated surface of the card remains exposed as in ordinary souvenir postals; and since the opposite side of the device has the appearance. of the address side of an ordinary postal card, the device as a whole will not materially differ from a souvenir postal card. The card however has this advantage, namely, that behind the card section O is contained reading or advertising matter (on the leaflets (Z, or on the leaflets and flap combined). Of course the reading matter on the leaflets must not partake of a character as to necessitate letter postage, but should contain only circular letters or similar correspondence not prohibited by postage rates on unsealed letters.

As stated above, the flap Z) may be removed entirely, but in that event the leaflets (Z must be secured a slight distance from the edge of the wrapper wall thus remaining, whereas if the flap is allowed to remain, the securing staple s for the leaflets may be disposed on the hinge-line of the flap (said line corresponding to the edge of the closed end of the wrapper before the formation of the flap) and be practically removed from contact with the fingers of persons handling the card.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination with a card, a wrapper into which the same is insertible, said wrapper having an open end and an opposite closed end, and having a section of one wall removed, said removed section extending from the closed end to suitable distances from the sides and open end of the wrapper the opposite wall of the wrapper serving as the address side of the device, substantially as set forth.

2. A mailing card comprising in combination a wrapper open at one end, and closed at the sides and opposite end, and having a portion excised from one wall thereof said excised portion extending from the closed end to within a suitable distance of the sides and open end of the wrapper, a card inserted into the wrapper and having a section of its outer face exposed through said excised portion of the wrapper wall, the unremoved portions of the mutilated wall serving as a border for the card, and the face of the opposite wall of the wrapper serving as the address side of the device, substantially as set forth.

3. A maihng card comprising in combination a wrapper open at one end, and closed at the sides and opposite end, one wall thereof having a portion excised therefrom from the edge of the closed end to points removed to suitable distances from the closed sides, and open end, one or more leaflets secured to the inner face of the opposite wall of the wrapper, the outer face of said opposite wall serving as the address side of the device, and a card inserted into the wrapper and passed over or in front of the leaflets, the face of the card left exposed through the excised portion of the wrapper wall being serviceable for pictorial or souvenir illustrations substantially as set forth.

4. A mailing card comprising in combination a wrapper open at one end and closed at the sides and opposite end, one Wall thereof having a portion excised therefrom from the edge of the closed end to points removed to suitable distances from the closed sides and open end, a flap hinged along the edge of the closed end formed by the excision referred to, a series of leaflets secured between the flap and the opposite wall of the wrapper, and a card inserted into the wrapper and passed in front of the flap and leaflets, and between the flap and the unremoved portions of the mutilated wall, the face of the card left exposed through the excised portion of the wrapper being serviceable for pictorial or souvenir illustrations, and the face of the opposite wall of the wrapper serving as the address side of the device, substantially as set forth.

5. In a mailing card, a wrapper open at one end and closed at the sides and at the opposite end, and having a flap excised from one wall thereof said flap being hinged along the edge of the closed end, substantially a set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM E. SMITH.

I/Vitnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MICHAEL. 

